


It's Unclear Now What We Intend

by loonyBibliophile



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: But with a happy ending, F/M, Fluff, but mostly canon, playfighting and kissing. that's what this is. that's it., probably sort of an alternate series of events, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 18:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4315482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyBibliophile/pseuds/loonyBibliophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An almost kiss, a near miss, and something a long time coming. The story of how it takes Bea and Ben three years of fighting to see what they should have all along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Unclear Now What We Intend

**Age 14**

Bea narrowed her eyes, then rolled them. Ben challenged back, raising one eyebrow, but clearly fighting to keep his mouth shut and turned down. His struggle threatened Bea’s own resolve, so she decided to take things into her own hands. As slowly and silently, she raised her arms. Ben too stubborn to look away to fend her off, was helpless as she lunged for his sides, tickling his ribs. He looked away and burst out laughing in the same moment, and Bea pulled back to raise her fists in triumph.

“I win you lose! Ha!” she stuck out her tongue.

“Oh no fair! You cheated.” he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

“No rules against touching. Just laughing, smiling or looking away. I won, fair and square!”

“I want a rematch.”

“No way!”

“I wasn’t fully aware of the rules! Your victory is tainted and unfair!”

“Fine, but only so I can beat you again.”

A few feet apart, the two settled cross legged onto the ground once more, letting their eyes meet between them. But only a few seconds had gone by when Ben nearly tackled her to the floor in order to tickle her, a shriek coming loose from her throat. Pulling back, she shoved at his stomach and rolled away, but he gave chase, poking her in the ribs and making her laugh involuntarily. After a few minutes they were essentially just laying on the floor, slapping weakly at each other and giggling.

There was a pause, eventually and inevitably. Bea looked up, ready to chide Ben for cheating, but she paused before she could speak. He was just…. looking at her. And his face was so close. For a moment, she just stared, wondering if he was finally going to kiss her. But when he finally moved, it was away from her, with a cough and a rushed good bye and a speedy exit. She sighed, flopping backwards and blowing the bangs off her face.

It was only a few days later that he gave his strange rambling speech about butterflies dying after three days, and she vowed to hate him forever.

**Age 17 Part 1**

Bea stands across from Ben with her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. And it is not friendly fire.

“You’re such a coward! Running away from a fight just because you know you’re losing. Pathetic!” she sneered at him.

“Oh, I’m pathetic? I seem to remember you were the one who chased me across the yard just to keep arguing. A bit desperate for company, are we?”

“Shut up! I only followed you because I don’t let an argument end until I’ve won rightfully and not because my stupid opponent ran away!”

“Well you should have taken your tainted victory, because there’s no way you’re getting a real one. Tea is delicious, and you are wrong. As always.”

“Just because it tastes good doesn’t make it necessary!” It could be the most delicious tea in the world and I’d still rather be invisible!”

“Good! Then nobody’d have to see you!”

“Hey!” Bea practically growled “Just… get off. Go away.” she reached her arms out shoving.

But instead of following her shove and leaving, he pushed back, mumbling unintelligibly as they slapped, poked and pushed at each other, their friends watching worriedly in the distance. Bea fought down the old nostalgia trying to make its way out of her chest. Remembering the play fight and almost but not kiss that basically lead to the ruins of their friendship only served to make her angrier. She moved to finally stomp away after a final shove at Ben, and for just a moment his hand slipped around her wrist. A traitorous part of her, just the smallest corner of her heart, thought just for a second he was going to stop her. Stop her from leaving an apologize, maybe. Stop her from leaving and pull her back and do what he should have done three bloody years ago. But he looked down at his wrist like it had betrayed the rest of his body, and she yanked her hand out and stomped away.  

It didn’t matter anyway. Ben didn’t matter. She hated Ben.

**Age 17 Part Two**

It’s been a tough couple of days, to say the least. Bea’s house feels like a warzone, with exhausted, crying Hero and silently seething Leo, and she wants nothing to do with it. She wants to help Hero, sure, but Hero had asked to be alone, to think things over and process on her own. And Bea could never deny her anything. So she ended up the last place she expected. Benedick Hobbes’ bedroom floor. It had taken everything she had left in her to ask him if she could come over after school, but he’d said yes without a moment of hesitation. He asked if she needed a ride, or to follow him, or directions. But she shook her head. She remembered where his house was. She’d never forgotten. His mom had been surprised but happy to see her, asking where she’d been the past few years. Bea hadn’t known how to answer, so Ben just herded her away into his room.

Ben had just pulled his laptop on the bed, waiting for her to sit down beside him, and pulled up an episode of Doctor Who. No bickering, no pushing and prodding about why she suddenly wanted to spend time with him, no teasing for needing help. But the no bickering could only last so long with them.

“No, absolutely not. Rose is the best companion!”

“I can’t believe you just said those words to me under my own roof on this, the day of my daughter’s wedding. The best companion is Donna by a LANDSLIDE.”

“Donna is amazing, but Rose is better.”

“How on earth is Rose Tyler better than Donna Noble?”

“Rose Tyler has never let anything stand in her way. She swallowed the time vortex and LIVED. With no military or scientific training she managed to come up with forces and a dimensional cannon that allowed her to move between universes and save lives. She never gives up on ANYTHING.” Bea crossed her arms, turning away from the episode to glare at Ben.

“Well Donna Noble is the only one who never let the Doctor get away with things! Rose and Martha were too easy on him. She’s the best companion for the Doctor from an objective point of view!”

“No way. Rose. Rose is still the best.” Bea narrowed her eyes, and as she did she saw something familiar spark on Ben’s face. “Oh no! Don’t you dare.”

But it was too late. He leaned forward, fingers dancing over her ribs until her was buckled over laughing. She lashed her arms out, managing to smack him in the side, until they were both flailing around on the bed, limbs swinging haphazardly until the inevitable happened with a thump and they fell to the floor, practically on top of one another. After an initial cry of pain from each of them, they started laughing again. The same nostalgia from a few months ago crept into Bea’s chest once more as she leaned her head up and, once again, found Ben just silently looking at her. She bit her lip, part of her screaming to run, part of her screaming that now was not the time, but most of her just wondering what would happen if she just… stayed. The answer, for several minutes, is nothing. He just stares at her, a strange look on his face.

“Are you gonna run away this time too?” her voice is quiet, and she looks as surprised at her words as Ben does. He swallows, but shakes his head.

“No.”

It goes quiet again after that, but neither of them of them moved. Eventually, Ben moves one hand, shaking slightly, from the floor behind Bea to the side of her face, carefully pushing her hair behind her ear. He’s still staring at her, and the careful way he touches her face makes Bea shiver. Ben is warm and surprisingly comfortable for someone so bony and he is so, so close. His thumb is hovering against her cheekbone, and the gentle movement makes her think of butterflies. He looks like he’s waiting for something, a sign or signal or maybe permission, so she closes her eyes and leans in just the slightest fraction of an inch, and that’s all it takes. Ben is kissing her, and she is kissing him, and it is so, so much less awful than three-months-ago her thought it would be and so, so much more wonderful than fourteen year old her ever hoped it could be. Both of his hands are cupping her face now, and one of them is stroking her hair, so she moves her arms up to his shoulder and leans closer, and for that moment it’s like the terrible past three years have never happened. Ben and her never had a falling out, Claudio never ruined Hero’s life, and everything was simply the way it was always supposed to be.

When she and Ben finally pull away from each other, Bea can still see stars behind her eyelids.

“Woah.” Ben whispers, his hands still holding her face.

“Yeah.” Bea murmurs back, unsure what to say or do in these sorts of situations. She thinks about how weird she used to find the idea of hand holding as she watches Ben pull one hand away from her to scratch the back of his neck nervously. Curious and cautious, she reaches over and catches it, lacing their fingers together.

“Well. I guess that is sort of nice after all.” her voice is quiet, but she has the tiniest of smiles on her face. Ben is beaming, a dorky grin that could power every light in New Zealand.

“Yeah. Nice is a good word.”

 **  
** As she and Ben settle back into the bed and this time he wraps an arm around her and she can feel and hear the beat of his heart and she sits down, Bea decides maybe he isn’t the worst person ever. And maybe having a boyfriend would be so bad either. As long as that boy was Ben.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been meaning to write this for awhile. I got the idea after Vox Pops Part 2 came out and we saw Bea and Ben's slapfight in it's full glory. Apologies for any inconsistencies in their conversation, I couldn't actually tell what they were saying. I hope you all enjoyed! :3


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